BOUNTIFUL -- A day that was unseasonably cold and overcast ended up feeling downright frigid and full of black storm clouds for the Bountiful Brave softball team.
With the start of the 4A State Tourney underway, the Braves faced off against the third-place team from Region 6, the Payson Lions.
But as they played through the chill in the air, they found themselves ice cold at the bat losing 1-0 in the opening round.
The usually potent bats of Bountiful, with a 18-1 record coming into this contest, couldn't get going throughout the first three innings going three up thraee down for the Braves.
For Payson it was more of the same, mustering up just one hit in the same span of time.
The innings rolled by quickly as the fourth finally featured a hit for the Braves. Lead-off hitter Rachel Toone, with the Payson defense playing in, slapped a grounder up the middle giving Bountiful its first base runner of the game. A walk put shortstop Mindy Smith on but the Braves soon fizzled out of steam and left both runners on.
In such a defensively dominated game, the pitching battle between Bountiful star Erin Burningham and Payson ace Sandy Marvin became all the more important. Domi-nating off speed pitches and great support from their defenses kept things scoreless until the sixth inning.
As Payson's Marvin walked and found her way to third on a pair of stolen bases, Janey Ballard came to the plate. Ballard confidently ripped a double down the left field line and scored what would be the only run they would need to beat the favored Braves.
Bountiful did threaten in the sixth with a repeat of what was done in the fourth inning. Toone pushed another single past the Payson defense for her second hit of the game, one of only two hits for the entire Bountiful squad.
A Smith walk put two on again with two outs. But, as was the story of the day for the Braves, they just couldn't find any offensive roll and left both ladies on base.
Although disheartening, the loss wasn't fatal as the Lady Braves will now head into the lower end of the double elimination state tourney.
The star of the game was Payson pitcher Sandy Marvin as she struck out three and gave up only two hits on the day.
Bountiful was led by Toone's 2-3 batting and huge plays on defense by the strong left side made up of third baseman Becky Beal and shortstop Mindy Smith.